Today I am showing something akin to yarn: nicely braided and twisted skeins of hemp fiber which are waiting to be plied into weavable yarn.The ten skeins sit atop a tansu and beneath a beautiful, early 20th century child’s Omi jofu hemp kimono with a lavish semamori or stitched, protective amulet–and under the hemp switches is a marvelous curiosity: it is a 19th century indigo dyed koyori (twisted paper) braided bag which used to hold boxes containing Japanese swords.

Isn’t that small cascade of braiding, above, just beautiful? Doesn’t it resemble some kind of marvelous insect?This is a beautiful study of natural, bast texture. The color is oddly beautiful, kind of like a slightly oxidized brass.